Satisfactory oral hygiene practices include the use of dental floss as an interdental cleaner. Approximately ninety percent (90%) of all dental disease originates between the teeth, an area ineffectually cleaned by existing manual and electric tooth brushes. Unchecked bacterial proliferation between the teeth may cause dental plaque and consequent gum disease. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss.
Dental floss is currently the most widely prescribed interdental cleaning aid. For manual use, the individual typically maneuvers a length of dental floss back and forth across the contact point between two teeth until the floss passes through the contact point into the interproximal space between the teeth. The floss is then pressed against the tooth surface and moved vertically up and down against the surface to clean the tooth.
Proper use of dental floss is essential for thorough interdental cleaning. Proper manual flossing technique includes horizontal motion of the floss until the floss passes through the contact point, followed primarily by vertical movement of the floss to clean the tooth once the floss is in the interproximal area.
Frequently, users mistakenly apply downward pressure to force the floss through a tight contact point thereby causing the floss to snap against the gingiva causing damage thereto, such as "floss cuts". Gingiva damage from improperly flossing techniques may contribute to the formation of gum disease.
Most adults have silver or composite filling materials between the teeth which increase the difficulty in maneuvering the floss through tight contact points. Dental fillings frequently include sharp or irregular edges which may cause the floss to shred, break or become stuck in the contact area. Users may also fail to vertically manipulate the floss against the tooth in a manner calculated to clean the entire tooth surface.
The principle reported problem with dental floss is the publics' reluctance to floss on a regular basis, or to floss at all. Individuals are reluctant to place their fingers in the mouth. Studies have also shown that individuals report dental floss is difficult to handle, and that flossing is extremely unpleasant, hard to perform, and time consuming.
Dental floss holders and threaders are available to eliminate the necessity of placing the fingers in the mouth while flossing. Such floss holders do not solve the problem of incomplete and improper manual flossing techniques.
Power driven dental flossing devices are described in prior art literature, but tangible prototypes and/or commercial embodiments of such devices are not believed to exist. A number of these described devices merely reciprocate floss between the teeth. Such devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,759,274 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,354.
Several prior art power driven dental flossing devices combine reciprocation of floss and vertical oscillation. One such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,695. The user is required to manually work the floss through the contact point prior to powered advancement of floss through a vertically oscillating, tined tip to a take-up spool for used floss. U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,957 incompletely describes a flosser with reciprocating floss and vertical oscillation. The device in U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,740 is similar to the '957 device and includes vertical oscillation with simultaneous reciprocation of floss.
Another prior art flosser is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,605,025 which describes circular or ovoid floss oscillation produced by vertical motion from an oscillating unit. U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,253 describes a flosser where the floss must be worked manually through the teeth prior to vertical oscillation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,658 describes horizontal movement applied to the headpiece which holds the tines.
Other prior art power driven flossing devices are designed to attach to power tooth brushes, such as the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,032.
None of the above described prior art flossers provide automatic, powered, high torque horizontal motion through the tight contact points with a vertical motion component added in the interproximal space. Additionally, most of the described devices use spools of dental floss which undesirably store bacteria contaminated, used floss within the device, and which require the user to periodically perform floss replacement and difficult manual re-threading operations.
As may be seen by the above discussion of the prior art, a heretofore unmet need exists for a power driven dental flosser that is easy to use, safe, provides high torque horizontal motion to pass the floss through the tight contact points without snapping the floss against the gums, and then provides a combined vertical/horizontal pattern of motion while the floss is in the interproximal area to effectively remove bacterial plaque in this critical area.